Certain diagnostic or therapeutic procedures require the formation of a cavity in an interior body region.
For example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,969,888 and 5,108,404, an expandable body is deployed to form a cavity in cancellous bone tissue, as part of a therapeutic procedure that fixes fractures or other abnormal bone conditions, both osteoporotic and non-osteoporotic in origin. The expandable body compresses the cancellous bone to form an interior cavity. The cavity receives a filling material, which provides renewed interior structural support for cortical bone.
This procedure can be used to treat cortical bone, which due to osteoporosis, avascular necrosis, cancer, or trauma, is fractured or is prone to compression fracture or collapse. These conditions, if not successfully treated, can result in deformities, chronic complications, and an overall adverse impact upon the quality of life.
A demand exists for alternative systems or methods which, like the expandable body shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,969,888 and 5,108,404, are capable of forming cavities in bone and other interior body regions in safe and efficacious ways.